The invention concerns a magnet actuator for a camshaft controller, comprising a housing base body with receiving sections provided on the housing base body for receiving at least one magnet body, wherein the magnet body is provided for driving an actuating means which is disposed coaxially to the camshaft and which controls the camshaft. The actuating means may include, in particular, hydraulic valves which can be actuated in an axial direction by the magnet body.
Conventional magnet actuators have a housing base body of cast metal, in particular cast aluminium. The magnet bodies are screwed to the housing base body. Cabling is required to provide the magnet body with electrical current. Camshaft controllers of this type are known e.g. from DE 196 54 926 A1 or DE 199 55 507 A1. These camshaft controllers are disposed in the drive train connection between the camshaft and the crankshaft and are borne via a central tensioning bolt which engages coaxially to and into the camshaft thereby providing connection thereto. In its region adjacent to the camshaft, the tensioning bolt bears the transmission parts of the camshaft controller which can be mutually turned to adjust the phase position of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft. The tensioning bolt is centered with respect to the camshaft which, proximate the region where the bolt shaft joins the camshaft, houses a spool valve which can be displaced by the magnet actuator. The magnet actuator can be fixed relative to the housing of the combustion engine and the armature cooperating with the magnet actuator is connected to the spool valve. This arrangement of the magnet actuator on the outside of the housing of the combustion engine is advantageous in that the magnet actuator can be oriented relative to the armature after assembly of the camshaft and the camshaft controller such that relatively small separations remain between the magnet body and the armature as is required to realize sufficiently large actuating forces with relatively small coil and magnet body sizes.
It is the underlying purpose of the present invention to provide a magnet actuator which is simple and inexpensive to produce and which preferably requires less cabling.